Games and Activities

Crafts

Treasure Map

Materials

Directions

Give each child a photocopy of a treasure map. An example is included here. Children may add to the treasure map using a ballpoint pen. To age the map, dampen a tea bag and rub it across the paper to stain. Crumble the paper into a ball and leave it on newspaper to dry.

Treasure Chest

(Adapted from Kids Can Press Jumbo Book of Crafts by Judy Ann Sadler.)

Materials

Scraps of wrapping or tissue paper

Scissors

Small jars or containers

Craft sticks

Craft paint brush

Glue

Shoebox with lid

Optional: Stickers, sequins, glitter

Directions

Premix equal amounts of glue and water and place the mixture in small jars or containers. Children brush an area of the shoebox with the glue mixture, attach a piece of wrapping or tissue paper, and smooth it with a craft stick. They continue adding glue and paper until the entire box and lid are covered and then decorate it with stickers, glitter, and sequins.

Activity

Pirate Quiz

Read about pirates at Pirates in Fact and Legend at www.piratesinfo.com/main.php and make a list of true and false fascinating facts. Read them to the children and let them guess which ones are true and which ones are not.

Pirate Face Painting

(Adapted from Starting Face Painting by Fiona Watt.)

Let the children paint their faces to create happy or scary pirates using black face paint, a stipple sponge, and paint brush. The librarian can begin by painting one child's face as follows and then let the children paint their own and each other's faces. Paint an arch over each eyebrow and add feathery lines below to the eyebrow. Dip the stipple sponge in black paint and dab from each ear to the chin and across the top lip to create a beard. To create mustache paint a line from the top lip up to the side of the nose, next paint a line along the top of the lip. Fill in the shape and add a thin curly end.

Pirate Flag

The pirate flag was designed to strike fear into victims and encourage a hasty surrender. The Jolly Roger often depicted symbols of death (a skull and crossbones was commonly seen on grave stones) and may have got its name from the devil -Old Roger - but is more likely derived from the French name for the red flag - Jolie Rouge.

Guest Speakers

Invite a singer dressed as a pirate to sing sea shanties, or invite the local Gilbert and Sullivan Society to perform songs or scenes from The Pirates of Penzance.

Audio Recording

"Song of the Pirates" on Musical Adventures of Peter Pan by various artists.